The Order of Tears
by Istalindar
Summary: 1 of 4 trial stories. Review and tell me what u think. Post-Hogwarts, Harry returns 2 the wizarding world from a decade of exile and finds it not quite as he left it. DMHG and others.
1. Default Chapter

This is one of four stories (Changes of Character, The Party, Multiple Personalities and this one) that i'm putting up so see which one you guys like best. and i'll only know if you review! so pls review and tell me which one you prefer, and that'll be the one that gets finished first. Enjoy. Istalindar

The music pulsed, and Harry could feel it deep in his chest, the pounding music echoing inside him. The club was dark and smoky, and he wasn't drunk yet. But the night was young, though he was not as young as he had been, last time he was here.  
  
He was being watched, he knew. But here, it was mostly scantily dressed women who were enjoying the club's nightlife. It hadnt changed much, in the nine years since he had been back. The staff had changed, certainly. So had the club goers. The woman with russet-dark hair wearing the black leather trousers and silver metallic top that tied across her otherwise bare back that hadnt ceased watching him since he walked in was new. He had been coming here every night for nearly a week, and he was once again becoming familiar with the clubs staff and patrons.  
  
Harry Potter hadnt changed much in the nine years since he had left the wizarding community. His hair was still black and messy, his eyes still emerald green, though he didn't wear glasses now, finding contacts a lot easier to keep track of and a lot harder to break. He was still tall, lanky, and athletic. But his mind had changed.  
  
He left the wizarding community when he was twenty, after he was forced to kill hundreds of innocent people just to kill Voldemort. He succeeded, but then the guilt wracked him to the point that he threw his wand at Ron, punched Hermione because she got inbetween him and the door, and stormed out. He hadnt seen them in nine years.  
  
He had spent years travelling around Europe, staying mainly in Asia and Africa to avoid the authorities who wanted him for mass murder. Rumour had it that should he be caught, the Dementors Kiss would be his fate. Having nearly experienced it in his third year at Hogwarts, he was reluctant to undergo the experience again.  
  
The redhead was watching him again, her brown eyes watching his every movement, focused beyond distraction. And it was beginning to get unnerving. Finally, Harry couldn't stand any more of it, and he made his way towards the back door of the club. He stumbled out onto the street behind the club, which was dark and cluttered.  
  
&  
  
The air in the alleyway was stale, cold and wet. Hermione shivered, and her hand retrieved her wand from the leg of her tight leather trousers. She was sure she had seen Harry come out this way. She had been shocked when she had seen him at the club – it was the first time in seven years that anyone in their little group had known where he was. When he left the wizarding community nine years ago, Ron had kept tabs on him, so they always knew roughly where he was. They had understood he didn't want company, so the best they could manage was to know where he was, at least. Then after two years, Ron's people had lost sight of him completely, which had hit their group hard.  
  
But now...  
  
"What is your problem? Why the hell are you following me?" Hermione whirled as Harry stepped out of the shadows into the dimly lit alleyway.  
  
"We've been looking for you, Potter." Hermione snapped. Maybe it was too much time spent around the youngest of the Malfoy family (though he wasn't all that young, now) or maybe it was her trying to keep herself away from the Boy-who-lived-only-to-run-away, so she didn't get hurt, again.  
  
"How do you know who I am?" Harry asked, surprised. Her tone reminded him of too many people he'd rather not remember. Like a mix between Hermione, Malfoy and McGonagall, all at the same time.  
  
"Oh please. For god's sakes Potter – turn around, very slowly." Her tone changed from annoyed to cautious half way through. There was a crash from behind, and Harry spun. A hand clamped onto his arm and dragged him backwards, until he stood behind the red head, her was watching the dark forms approaching with her wand out.  
  
"Are you insane? You'll get seen!" Harry hissed.  
  
"Better seen then dead, Harry. That's what obliviate charms are for." Hermione flashed him a smile, and Harry was thrown back into a whirlwind of memories of his time at Hogwarts with Hermione and Ron.  
  
"Hermione?" he whispered.  
  
"Ten points." She said shortly. "Nice to see you again. But be quiet. I'll blind them and then we'll have about ten seconds to run like Voldy's after us."  
  
"He's dead." Harry pointed out.  
  
"Duh. One, two...three!" Hermione shouted something, and a blinding white light was expelled from her wand, and then they were running.  
  
"What are those things?" Harry panted as they fled out of the alley. Images of the huge green creatures flashed in his head.  
  
"You don't want to know. Come on!"  
  
Hermione ran with seeming unending energy and agility through the city, and Harry, who had not kept up his sporting activities despite his appearance, was soon out of breath and exhausted. He stopped, leaning against the wall, clutching his side and gasping for breath. Hermione doubled back and dragged Harry on.  
  
"We're not far now. Come on!"  
  
She lied when she said they werent far. But she was used to lying to make things seem better. She did it on a regular basis. But for now, they were five minutes away from the port key at a dead sprint, and they had three four-eyed monsters on their tails.  
  
She dragged Harry through some of the rougher areas of town, their feet splashing on the wet pavement. They came to the apartment building, and when Hermione started up the fire-escape stairs, Harry stopped.  
  
"Not a chance." He said flatly.  
  
"If you want to stay alive, Potter, you'll fucking well get your ass up those stairs." Hermione said harshly without turning around. Again, Harry heard Malfoy in her voice. But he also heard the sound of something very big crashing through the streets behind him, so wearily, he began to climb.  
  
At the top, she was waiting for him, sitting on the edge of the wall, the moon behind her head like some sort of twisted halo. Beside her was a silver bracelet, glinting in the moonlight.  
  
"Hermione? What's going on?" Harry said uneasily.  
  
"Come here, Harry." Hermione said heavily. "On three, touch the bracelet."  
  
"Portkey?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"I'm not going back to the wizarding world." Harry said, backing off. There was a growl and a crash, as soemthing large came up the stairs. Harry looked over the side and saw a huge greenish creature glinting wetly in the moonlight, with about seven arms and four tentacles coming off its head.  
  
"Where are you going to go then? From here, you have three options." Hermione said. He glanced at her, and her face was flat and set like stone. "The portkey with me. Jump off the roof. Get tortured, destroyed then eaten by the four eyes. It's your choice."  
  
"What happened to you? You've changed." Harry said desperately, to buy himself time. He knew she was right, as always, but he hated the thought of going back to magic.  
  
"Life happened, Harry. Now decide. It you want to jump or get eaten, hurry up and tell me. I want to go home." Harry stared. This was not the Hermione he knew at all.  
  
"I'm coming."  
  
"One, two...three." They touched the bracelet together, and disappeared. The monster appeared on top of the building and screamed its rage to the moon. The inhabitants of the apartment building huddled together in fear.  
  
&  
  
Hermione and Harry appeared in a large room, and Hermione was immediately swept into a huge hug.  
  
"Where have you been? I've been so fucking worried! You were due in an hour ago!" Harry stared at the blonde man who had enveloped Hermione in his arms and now had his face buried in her shoulder.  
  
"He's right, Hermione. Neville and I had to forcibly restrain him." Hermione laughed, pulling back. Draco immediately captured her lips in a kiss, his hands travelling across her back to rest on her shoulderblades and the small of her back.  
  
The man who was sitting in the chair watching Harry coughed. When there was no response, he coughed louder, and Hermione and Draco broke apart.  
  
"Who's your guest Hermione?" he asked. Hermione turned in Draco's arms, which wrapped around her waist possessively.  
  
"The reason I'm late. I found him, you guys. After seven years. I found him."  
  
"Potter?" Malfoy asked finally.  
  
"Malfoy." Harry said coldly, eyeing up the blonde man with distaste.  
  
"Oh god. Not again." Ron groaned. He stepped between them hastily. "Hey man. Where've you been?" he demanded with a grin. But the look in his eyes was wary, almost unbelieving.  
  
"Hey Ron." Harry said awkwardly. Then Ron grinned and hugged him.  
  
"You're back!" Ron yelled exuberantly. Harry grinned in spite of himself.  
  
"Yeah. I am."  
  
"Where've you been?" the man sitting down demanded, rising to his feet. Harry stared at him in confusion.  
  
"Harry, meet Neville." Ron said with a grin.  
  
"Neville?" Harry exclaimed. Neville grinned.  
  
Harry was shocked. More so then when he'd seen Hermione. Neville was tall, lean, and handsome, nothing like the boy he'd been at Hogwarts.  
  
"You look surprised, Harry. If you're going to go away from nearly a decade, you cant expect everyone to stay the same." A petite redhead walked into the room, carrying two steaming mugs. She handed one to Hermione and kept the other to herself, sitting on the couch and looking up at Harry.  
  
"Thanks Gin." Hermione moved away from Draco to sit on the couch next to Ginny.  
  
"Sit down, mate!" Ron said enthusiastically. The rest of the group watched silently as Ron fussed around Harry. Harry couldn't help feeling that he was a complete outcast around these people. They all looked so close, even Malfoy seemed more at home here then he did.  
  
The fire roared to life with emerald flames, and Harry was shocked at the way that every one but himself pulled out a wand, only to lower it when a woman stepped through, dusting soot off herself with pampered hands.  
  
"You would not believe the activity out there tonight!" she exclaimed. Hermione set her drink aside and jumped up, hugging the girl.  
  
"You're back!"  
  
"You thought I was going to stay away from this family reunion? Not that I ever particularly liked Potter, but I wasn't going to miss his face when he found out whats going on."  
  
"That's horrible, Pansy." Ginny said, making a face.  
  
"That's why you begged off Nursery, isnt it?"  
  
"No. I begged off nursery because I liked Harry. Not because the look of his face when he finds out we finally united the Hogwarts houses would be a kodac moment."  
  
"A what?" Pansy Parkinson asked, looking confused.  
  
"A memorable moment, Pansy." Draco said drily.  
  
"I knew that." Pansy said huffily. "You, sit." She pushed Hermione back down on the chair and sat next to her. She, too, had changed. She was still somewhat pug faced, but she had recognised the values of wearing enough clothing and of not overdoing the makeup. She also acted a lot more mature, without a single insult so far, and she had been civil to Gryffindors.  
  
"So who's telling him what?"  
  
"I thought we were waiting for Cho to drop in." Neville said.  
  
"Sorry, hun. Your significant other is locked up in Cardiff trying to bang sense into Ernie Macmillan. He's being more stupid then usual. And I'm observing, not commenting." She added. Harry was staring again, and he knew it. Cho and Neville...married? Was the world falling down around his ears? Though the way his life was, it wouldn't be the first time. And not only that, but did Pansy just call Neville hun???  
  
"We'll get started then. Because I have other things I want to do tonight." Malfoy said, rubbing his hands together and grinning.  
  
"Ugh. Leave the bedroom activities in the bedroom Draco." Ron said with a grimace.  
  
"You just assumed that was what I was talking about." Malfoy said with a smirk.  
  
"But I was right." Ron shot back. Malfoy shrugged.  
  
"Children, please." Ginny said. The two men stared at her.  
  
"You spend too much time in the nursery, red." Malfoy said.  
  
"With my hand, I don't have a lot of choice. And you were acting like children." Ginny said with a grin.  
  
"What happened to your hand?" Harry asked, if only to break through the unreality of Malfoys and Weasleys teasing each other.  
  
"Someone tried to kill me. Malfoy managed to stop it, but not before it did this." Ginny raised her right hand, and Harry flinched. Her hand was shrivelled and warped, the skin patchy pink, white and mottled purple. Her fingers were curled in like claws. "Because of this I have to work left handed, which I'm not particularly good at. Which is why I spend my time looking after kids instead of going out. Though I don't mind, really."  
  
"Ginny's discovered some of her mother inside her." Pansy put in. "Which is fine, because I don't have to look after kids that way. I hate kids." She shuddered.  
  
"Can we get to the point?" Neville asked. The others fell silent. "Thank you. Harry, this is one of the safehouses for the Order of Tears, which we make up. There's a lot of Hogwarts students involved, of all houses, and other people from various countries around the world. We replaced the Order of the Pheonix."  
  
"What happened to them?" Harry asked, surprised.  
  
"They were slaughtered." Ginny said flatly. "That's where my hand got ruined, when we were trying to fight off deatheaters."  
  
"Everyone?" Harry asked faintly.  
  
"There's us. But from the original Order? There's Fred Weasley, I suppose. But he isnt really a whole person any more." Malfoy said quietly.  
  
"Where's he?" Harry asked, fearing the answer.  
  
"St Mungo's mentally insane unit." Ron answered. "He killed George by accident, and he completely snapped."  
  
"He was trying to kill my father." Malfoy said softly, coming over to sit on the arm of the couch next to Hermione, who leaned her head on his leg. He looked down at her, stroking her dyed-red hair. "Lucius pushed George in front of him, and the curse hit him. But Fred was trying to be cruel, and the curse was one that takes hours to finish. It eats at your skin and starts eating you from the inside." Harry stared at Ron and Ginny but they seemed unaffected. "I could hear George screaming, and I couldn't get to him..." Malfoy trailed off.  
  
"You saved others, my love." Hermione murmured. "You saved me, and Ginny, and Pansy, and Cho..."  
  
Harry was shocked. Not so much at Malfoy's story, but at the way he told it. He actually sounded upset about it.  
  
Malfoy laughed. "Bet this has you wondering if you're off your rocker, eh Potter? Draco Malfoy, saving lives instead of taking them." He said bitterly.  
  
"We don't blame you, Malfoy. We all saw what you did." Ron said quietly. "Anyway. Dumbledore kept telling us to get the others and get out. So we grabbed as many as we could and ran. We ran, like fucking cowards." He broke off.  
  
"We all slept rough. We found each other on the streets, we were all wrecked, crying, yelling, rocking. I swear people thought we were insane." Pansy said. "We...or rather, the Grangers," she smiled at Hermione, "bought the first safehouse, which we enlarged magically. And we all limped back there to recuperate. People kept leaving, and returning with more casualties. Some of us learned to be mediwitches very quickly." She said with a depracating smile.  
  
"I just don't get why the hell people like you were there anyway." Harry said. Hermione lifted her head off Draco's leg and looked at him.  
  
"They're not people like them, Harry. They're people like us. They saw what happened, and they realised they werent going to murder like that."  
  
"Actually, pet, it was more of a case of deatheaters were just as prepared to kill us as they were them." Malfoy contradicted.  
  
"Which pissed us off. Especially since Voldemort was already dead. We werent going to follow some random guy who thought he was better than the rest of those mindless losers." Pansy said, holding out her hand and inspecting her manicured fingernails.  
  
"People started coming here because this lot didn't discriminate about who came, as long as they followed the rules." Malfoy said, jerking his thumb at the present Gryffindors. "Namely, hurt us and we'll kill you. It got the message across pretty fast when they showed how willing they were to kill us."  
  
"We did warn you." Hermione said sweetly.  
  
"After you'd broken my nose and stamped on me." Malfoy complained.  
  
"That was for calling me mudblood." Hermione shot back.  
  
"Anyway." Neville said pointedly. Hermione and Malfoy turned and looked innocently at him. Harry was just a little disgusted. This was the girl he had loved, for god's sakes. And it was fairly clear that she was either involved with Malfoy or very good friends with him. He was going for involved, much as it pained him to do so.  
  
"Anyway." Ginny repeated. "More and more people came here, and Hermione, being Hermione, organised us all -"  
  
"What's that meant to mean?" Hermione muttered rebelliously.  
  
"- into a group that could actually look after ourselves. Various pairing sprung up...like Neville and Cho. Which is how the nurseries came into being, with people looking after the kids who were either unable," Ginny held up her destroyed hand, "or unwilling to fight."  
  
"There weren't many of those." Ron put in. "But there were some who just froze up around dark magic. The way Neville used to be."  
  
"We eventually needed more safehouses, so we organised those. They're dotted all over the place, now. Literally. There's three in America, about nine in the UK, twelve in Europe, and various others dotted around Asia and Africa."  
  
"What about Hogwarts?" Harry asked.  
  
"It's gone. Along with ze rest of ze magical schools." A blonde woman appeared in the middle of the room, and Ron jumped up.  
  
"Fleur!"  
  
"Bonjour. Je suis rentree. Mais je dois parti maintenant." (Hello, I'm back. But I have to leave now.)  
  
"Pourquoi?" (Why?) Harry was really staring now. Ron and Fleur were actually conversing in fairly fluent french.  
  
"J'aime tu, Ron, mais je dois parti. Au revoir" Fleur disappeared. (I love you, Ron, but I have to go. Goodbye)  
  
"Malfoy taught Ron french when Hermione found out how much Ron liked Fleur." Pansy explained with a giggle. "It was very funny at first, and then Ron got better at it than me, and it wasn't half as funny when he was correcting me."  
  
"What can I say? I'm a good teacher." Malfoy said with a shrug, grinning wildly.  
  
"You mean a complete cheat and a fraud! You eventually gave up and charmed him so he could speak french." Pansy shot back. Malfoy shrugged again.  
  
"What's the big deal? He can speak french, cant he?"  
  
"Children!" Ginny broke in again. Pansy and Malfoy subsided, and Harry swore they looked a little sheepish.  
  
"So all the schools are gone, and all the kids are being home-taught at the moment." Neville continued.  
  
"Apart from those who are here. Hermione teaches them most things, since she's the best out of us all. The things that she didn't take or doesn't do brilliantly, which are few and far between, Malfoy takes care of."  
  
"In other words, I charm the little monsters so they know the stuff and I hand 'em back to our resident genius." Malfoy said archly.  
  
"Which gets the job done, so we don't complain." Neville added. "Anyway. The magical world is still in complete chaos...the ministry's a mess, there's no decent schools, and no one knows who's safe or not."  
  
"We're about the only secure people in the bunch. Because we trust everyone else here with our lives."  
  
"And none of us have disappointed when it comes to the crunch." Neville said. Harry had a sneaky feeling they were finally getting to the point.  
  
"What we're getting at, Potter," Malfoy stood up, and then it was just Harry and Malfoy in the conversation as the rest backed out. "Is can we trust you not to back out? We've lost people looking for you. We've gotten hurt. A lot of us have only just recovered from losing you the first time round and the consequences thereof. So this is the question. Are you in or out? This is a now decision. You cant decide later." Harry raised an eyebrow, but frowned as Hermione joined Malfoy, her hand twining in his at their sides.  
  
"We mean it Harry. If you can't do this, fine. But you also cant stay. If you want to stay a Muggle, you can. But this is a magical group, and we try and keep Muggles from knowing about magic."  
  
"You'd kick me out." Harry said flatly.  
  
"Actually, we would." Pansy said. "We know you, Harry. We know what you're like, what you can take, what you can do. You're not the Boy-Who- Lived here, you're Harry James Potter. The person, not the name. So you can choose. You can stay here with your friends who were fighting to save the world while you backed yourself into a corner of your own selfish thoughts, and maybe you can get your act together again, or you can leave again, proving that you really were almost as useless as you seemed to the rest of the world who werent infatuated with you."  
  
"Easy Pansy." Hermione commented.  
  
"What? You gave up everything for him, Hermione! Are you prepared to give it up all over again only for him to leave?"  
  
"I wont do that." Hermione said to Pansy though her eyes were locked on Harry. "I have too much to risk now."  
  
"You wont risk it for your best friend?" Harry asked mockingly.  
  
"What best friend?" Hermione asked coldly. "I risked everything for him seven years ago, but he disappeared. I'd heard he was dead. I've yet to hear anything different." She rose up and kissed Malfoy on the cheek. "I'm going to bed. I've got work to do tomorrow." She walked off, but no one followed her.  
  
"Well? That wasn't quite the welcome speech I had planned," Ron said, "But I guess it's going to have to do, as much as possible. But the question was posed. Are you staying or going?"  
  
"I'm staying, just to prove to Hermione she's wrong." Malfoy chuckled.  
  
"Good luck." Then he turned and went in the direction Hermione had.  
  
&  
  
So? Do you like it? If you do, please review, because I have quite a few ideas for stories at the mo, but I don't know which ones to follow up. So check out my other ones, and tell me which one you like best. Istalindar.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's your Christmas fix! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate everything, including the criticism, especially if it makes me think about what I'm writing in more detail. I've not updated everything, because most things are WIP and I have a life, however limited it may be, so stick with me and you might even get two updates this break! I hope you like this. Have a brilliant Christmas and New Year everyone. Istalindar

Hermione lay on her side in the double bed, the covers drawn up around her shoulders as she stared past the gauzy white curtains to the darkness outside. Tears were running unheeded onto her pillow, and there was a lump in her throat that made her feel like she was choking, but she made no sound.

She heard the door open and close behind her, and then the sound of him getting undressed before the bed dipped with the extra weight and a draught of cold air caressed Hermione's body as the covers were lifted as he joined her in the bed. He gathered her to him, his hands warm against her skin. She couldn't help it, she started crying harder.

"Hush, sweetheart, it's alright." Draco whispered in her ear. He was personally furious at Harry for showing his face here, no matter how he had gotten here. His disappearance had caused chaos for the entire group, and it was clear that Potter had completely blocked himself off from the wizarding world if he didn't know that Hogwarts was gone and that the Order of the Pheonix had been destroyed. Draco stared pensively over Hermione's shoulder at the window as she turned in his arms and cried into his chest. That had been the worst night of his life, everyone yelling and screaming, and the small house at Grimmauld place crammed with people all trying to hex or save each other.

He had gone to see it yesterday, without telling Hermione. He had been curious. The house had been completely silent. Even the painting of Mrs Black was silent, despite his entry to the house. It was still in shambles inside, and Malfoy had to step around rust coloured stains on the floor. There were no bodies, he and Neville had taken care of that after they had gotten everybody out. It had been how they knew that everyone really was dead…McGonagall, Dumbledore, Snape, all the Weasleys but Ron, Fred and Ginny, Lupin, most of the aurors like Tonks and Moody and various others who were members of the Order both undercover and at home.

The rest of the teachers at Hogwarts had died when the school exploded. Draco strongly suspected that the school exploded because of the teachers, but either way, it was now the dangerous ruin it had appeared to Muggles previously. The Ministry had been next to go, courtesy of Harry, and then Hermione had blown up Durmstrang in a heroic, and successful, attempt to destroy a large meeting of deatheaters. Fleur Delacour had taken care of Beauxbatons, getting rid of yet more deatheaters, while avoiding killing any students. Such had been the case with the explosion of Hogwarts, though Hermione was unlucky with Durmstrang. Draco knew that she knew the names and ages of every student there when it was destroyed, a grand total of fifty-three. He also knew that she cried herself to sleep often with thoughts of them, but he had stopped trying to comfort her. He understood the pain she was feeling, having killed people himself. But he had been trained to ignore their deaths and move on. Hermione hadnt.

That morning at Grimmauld Place, cleaning up with Neville, had been the time when Malfoy had decided to stay with the remains of the group. He had felt awful the night before, starting off as a deatheater and finishing as a traitor. And he felt sorry these people had died, as he closed their eyes and performed spells that would turn them to dust. And he found he respected Neville for the silent tears that poured down his face as he worked. Neville had proved himself the previous night, and no one could call him stupid, cowardly and pathetic anymore.

Brave, resourceful and strong was more like it.

They had opened all the windows and made a wind that blew the dust away from the house, great clouds of it that billowed from the doors and windows like smoke. Neville had been crying his eyes out, taking shuddering breaths as he watched the dust blow away, and Malfoy had just watched as the remains of people he had known for the greater part of his life blew away on the wind.

Even had he wanted to, he couldn't go back to Voldemort now. Too many people had seen him save lives, kill their own. Ginny had been the first life he saved. He had heard her screaming, screaming and screaming without stopping, and he hadnt been able to concentrate. So he had gone looking for her with the intent to shut her up. But he had found her in the corner, being raped by a deatheater. He hadnt been able to get to her soon enough to stop that, but when the deatheater tried to kill her he had stopped it as much as he could, though he hadnt been able to save her hand. Then he had shoved her into a closet and locked it, which kept her safe for the rest of the night.

Then it was Cho, who's wand had been broken and was getting hit by Crucio curses by men who found it amusing to see her writhe on the floor in agony. He had stopped them, repaired her wand, and sent her off looking very confused but determined all the same.

Hermione was next…and he'd killed his own father to save her. Lucius had been torturing her, because she was a mudblood. The look on her face as she saw Draco behind Lucius had been enough for Draco to save her, and he had a sneaking feeling that it had been then that he had fallen in love with her, when she had refused to scream despite Lucius' worst, but her eyes had been filled with pain that no twenty-year-old should feel. That no person should feel. He had killed his father for her, then gathered her sobbing into his arms, and hidden her in the corner with implicit instructions to stay put.

It seemed Pansy had had a change of heart as well…she was busy trying to stop Luna Lovegood from being killed, and a deatheater was about to kill Pansy because of it, but Draco had gotten there first, and Pansy had stepped over him with a grateful glance in Draco's direction.

There had been others. Life after life that Draco had taken or saved. He didn't have any regrets for the choice he had made, and now since he had fallen in love with Hermione and found that she returned the favour, he had no thoughts of leaving. He was caught, well and truly, and if he was honest, he didn't mind a bit.

&

The next morning, Harry sat in the kitchen drinking tea and reading the Daily Prophet. It wasn't very reliable, but Harry thought he might at least make the effort to find out what was happening in the wizarding world. Luna Lovegood was pottering around the kitchen humming to herself, and Harry was glad that at least one person hadnt changed. She was still as strange as she had always been, and hadnt seemed at all surprised to see him, she just gave him a hug and a cup of tea and went back to whatever it was she was doing.

A whoosh took Harry's attention from the newspaper and he looked towards the large kitchen fireplace which was now roaring with green flames. Then a woman stepped from them, dusting herself off.

"Lo, Luna. What's up?" Cho Longbottom grinned at the blonde girl.

"Harry's come back." Luna answered dreamily. Cho's eyes fixed on Harry.

"Harry! Omigod you're back!" She exclaimed, dropping her bags and sliding into the chair next to him. "Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you! Are you okay? How have you been? Who found you? Where? Did you find us?" Luna clamped her hand over Cho's mouth, then let go.

"Now breathe. Eat." Luna set a plate of pancakes with blueberries in front of Cho, and a second one in front of Harry.

"Hermione found me at Fountain, you know, the nightclub in Devon? She brought me here. I can't say the welcoming party was up to much though." Cho shrugged and kept eating.

"Well." She swallowed. "We've all had rough times, havent we? And we've all been really worried about you. Heck, even Draco was threatening to kill you if you didn't turn up soon. Said he'd go insane. Though that might just have been because Hermione had gone a little wacky." She added thoughtfully.

Luna sat down with her own plate of pancakes. "We've all gone a bit wacky, though, Cho. Now people think I'm normal. How wacky is _that_?" Harry laughed. Luna actually sounded offended at being called normal.

"Yeah. You can tell who're recent members to the Order because they havent clocked any time at St Mungo's insanity unit." Cho agreed.

"I havent." Pansy said, walking in.

"That's because your normal is weird anyway. Your insanity is normal." Luna answered.

"Says you, Loony."

"Flower head." Luna shot back. Pansy grinned.

"Anyway." Cho interrupted, sounding a lot like Neville last night. "Most of us have been at St Mungo's insanity unit for _something_…though it varies. Eventually we broke down and made a padded room here, which is where we shove people who go wacky. If they stay wacky, then we send 'em up."

"It's also a good time out room for the kids." Ginny said with a smile, coming into the large kitchen. She grabbed a plate of pancakes from the side, and Harry noticed there were about five more plates still on the side, and five more empty chairs at the table.

Pansy shuddered. "I hate-"

"Kids, yes, Pansy. We know." Cho said with a grin. "Though I don't see why you hate them. I think they're sweet." Pansy glared.

"Probably because the one you're talking about is your son. And trust me. He is _not_ as sweet as you think he is." Harry nearly choked on a mouthful of pancake. Cho had a son? Well, she _was_ married.

"There are worse kids." Ginny said diplomatically. "I was glad when Draco decided to send Lani away. She was a monster."

"She still is." Cho said after swallowing. "I dropped in on her while I was in Cardiff. She's got so much of her father in her…the carers nearly hit her when she bit Rose Zeller's kid…you know, the little blonde one with green and blue eyes?"

"Lani could do with a beating." Draco said, walking in, grabbing a plate and sitting down. "But her mother spoils her."

"I thought it was Hermione's idea to send her away." Cho said.

"It was. Mainly so someone would discipline the girl without mother dearest interfering. Is she being horrible again?"

"Bit Louise Zeller on the ear. Drew blood." Cho answered. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'll see if I can drop in today and have a word or two with her."

"She's got a lot of Malfoy in her." Luna said, staring at the ceiling.

"I know." Malfoy acknowledged.

"Morning!" Hermione walked in, kissed Draco on the cheek, and slid into a chair beside him, grabbing a plate from the counter behind her.

"Morning love." Draco answered with a smile that nearly made Harry puke.

"Who're we talking about?"

"Cho's son." Ginny answered, deliberately leaving out the part about Lani. That conversation never went anywhere good. Hermione was just too sensitive about it. Hermione grinned.

"He's so cute."

"Oh god." Ron walked into the room. "Please, don't start with the 'he's so cute!'. I might just be sick."

"Oh shut up, you old moaner." Luna snapped. "Anyway. What're we doing today?"

"I've got nursery…I got out of it last week, but if I try it again, either Ginny or Emmy's gonna spank me like I'm two." Hermione said dolefully.

"And I reserve all rights on that count." Malfoy said wickedly. Everyone rolled their eyes, and Ron pretended to be sick.

"Don't you dare be sick on my floor, Ronald Weasley, or there'll be one less Weasley to the family name." Luna scolded.

"Ooh. She told you, then." Neville grinned as he strode in. "Lo sweetheart. How was Wales?" He walked over to Cho and kissed the top of her head.

"Cold and raining, as usual. How're you?"

"Starving." Neville grabbed the remaining plate of pancakes and perched on the edge of the sink. "Good pancakes, Luna."

"My pancakes are always good. But thanks anyway. It's your turn to cook tomorrow Draco, by the way."

"And I promise I shall try to restrain my creative talents." Draco said grandly with a smile. Hermione swatted him over the head.

"And try not to give anyone food poisoning." Ron added.

"I thought that was your forte." Draco shot back. Ron didn't reply, as his mouth was too full of pancakes. "I shall take your silence as an affirmative." Draco added. Ron coughed and just missed spraying pancakes over the table, while everyone but Harry hid smiles. He just glared.

"Nursery calls." Hermione said finally, rising from her chair and putting her plate in the sink. Ginny joined her, muttering something that made Hermione laugh.

"No plotting behind my back." Draco called as they walked off.

"Yeah, you'd rather we called you to your face." Hermione replied, turning so she walked backwards.

"Any time, sweetheart. Any time." Hermione stuck her tongue out at him before turning the corner and disappearing. "Right, well. I have to go join Seamus in trying to de-curse that bloody cat. Hermione will never forgive me if I don't." Draco dumped his plate in the sink.

"Better you than me, mate. The cat's evil." Ron said with a laugh.

"I know." Draco held up his left hand, showing the three red scratches that ran down the back. "I think it's Hermione's alter-ego."

"In a cat?" Harry asked scornfully.

"Where else were you planning on putting it Potter?" Malfoy snapped back before he, too, disappeared out the room.

"Cho? Do you want to show me what you have from Cardiff? There was loads of stuff going on last night." Pansy said, rising. Cho and Neville dumped their plates in the sink and followed her out.

"Do you want me to show you around, mate? We can talk." Ron said. Harry nodded. It wasn't like he anything better to do.

&

"If he doesn't stop glaring at Draco, I swear…" Hermione trailed off as Jonas Finnegan, Seamus' son, looked up at her with innocent brown eyes. "I swear we'll have to talk." She finished lamely.

"Yeah. Talk. That'll hurt." Ginny said sarcastically. "Be still, you silly child." Louisa Farlbarrow, a five year old who had a tendancy to be clumsy and graze various knees and elbows, was wiggling as Ginny applied disinfectant.

"But it hurts!" Louisa whined.

"That's how you know its working, dear." Ginny said with a smile. Hermione rolled her eyes. Generally, they magicked away small injuries like Louisa's, but Louisa made such a habit of it, they were trying the muggle way to get her to stop it.

Later, Ginny and Hermione sat on a bench in the back garden of the house and watched as the kids played in the sunshine. There were twenty three kids here, from ages four to about nine. The older ones stayed mainly in Scotland at the safehouse there, where they were being taught more advanced magic, and were being brought through secondary teaching at the safehouse, rather than at any school. A lot of the kids at the safehouse in Hull, which was where they were now, weren't related to any of the members of the Order of Tears, but were either magically gifted orphans or the children of members either out on duty or at other safehouses. Members often sent their children to safehouses away from them as a way to protect them…the theory being that if any of the enemies of the Order of Tears, and they had several, saw members spending a lot of time with a particular child, that child would be put in danger. It was somewhat more complicated than that, but it had a basic result. Kids were swapped around…Draco's daughter Lani was in Cardiff, Whitney Farlbarrow, who was based in London, had her daughter kept here in Hull. There were exceptions, like Jonas Finnegan, who's father was based at the same safehouse that he stayed at, but they were few and far between.

"He's not used to you being with Draco." Ginny said, referring to Harry. "We all glared at Draco when you first told us as well. Didn't Ron hex him?"

"I don't think he actually did it, but then I was in Dublin helping Lavender at the time, so I don't know. Did he?"

"I cant remember. But my point is, he'll get used to it. He'll be alright."

"I don't know, Gin." Hermione said slowly, "I mean…back at school, Harry liked me. As in liked me liked me. I told him I wanted to stay friends, even though I loved him too. But I didn't want to risk our friendship, you know, if we broke up or something." Ginny looked surprised.

"I didn't know that. But… you love Draco more than you love Harry, right?"

"I bloody well hope so." Hermione said with a laugh, glancing at the ring on her left ring finger. "Seriously though, I love Draco with everything I have, whereas I barely like Harry at the moment. Like Pansy said last night, I gave up everything for Harry, and he threw it back in my face. I'm not going to do it again."

"You'd be a fool if you did." Ginny commented. Hermione stared.

"Well, you're right. You gave everything up for him, and he trampled over it. If you did it again…well. It's not what I would do." Hermione impulsively hugged Ginny.

"Thank you! I needed you to say that."

"Well, I'm glad I did then. I think it's time for them to come in now." Ginny stood up and, putting the fingers of her good hand into her mouth, whistled loudly. The garden immediately fell silent except for the sound of lots of kids running towards the two women. After performing a quick headcount, they sent the kids inside.

"I'm going to get us some lunch. Will you watch them for me?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded.

"No problem." Hermione answered with a grin, and Ginny rolled her eyes before disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.

She hadnt been gone for two minutes before Harry and Ron walked in. Ron was obviously giving Harry a tour of the safehouse.

"And this is the kids room, which is basically where they hang out all day. There's a classroom next door, but since it's Saturday they avoid it like the plague. Lo Hermione." Ron grinned, and Hermione raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey. Tour of the house?" she asked. Harry nodded.

"Cool." There was a beep and a whir, and an image of Ginny rose from a small black box on the table top.

"Hermione, is Ron there yet? I heard he's giving Harry a tour, but I need him to give me a hand with something. When he arrives can you send him up?"

"He's here already Gin. Or rather, he's just gone. He'll be up in a minute." Hermione answered.

"Thanks doll. See ya soon." The image disappeared.

"Sit down." Hermione said, moving up on the couch she was sitting on, and Harry sat. "This is the kids room, like Ron said. We have kids from all the safehouses here, but not so much this one. Sending our kids away keeps them a little safer, as much as we can."

"So none of the kids of anyone here actually live here?" Harry asked.

"Some do. Like Logan Longbottom and Jonas Finnegan are both here, but my daughter Lani's in Wales."

"Your daughter?" Harry half-gasped.

"Yeah." Hermione gave him a strange look. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I just didn't realise you had a daughter."

"Well, yeah."

"Hermione? Can I ask you something?" Harry asked tentatively.

"You just did. But feel free to ask me another question." Hermione said with a smile.

"How long have you and Malfoy been going out?" Hermione gave him a sharp look.

"We went out for about four years." She said. Harry relaxed. Maybe they were just friends after all.

"So you're not going out anymore?"

"Well, no. Harry, we're married."

&


	3. Chapter 3

Here's your last xmas special, so I hope you like it. I'm sorry it's short, but this is being quite difficult to write so I've not got loads to put up. I hope you like it. Istalindar

&

"Married!" Harry yelled. He was in the library with Ron.

"It's a library, Harry. Stop yelling." Ron said calmly.

"You let them get married!"

"It wasn't exactly my decision to make, Harry. And what's the big deal? They're both sickeningly in love with each other, and Ginny had my arm twisted around my back anyway. And if you actually get to know him, Draco's not _that_ bad. He has his moments, I'll grant you that, but he's not that bad."

"Not that bad! Ron, this is Draco Malfoy! Our enemy for years! And all of a sudden, he's NOT THAT BAD!"

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" Draco walked in, took one look, and walked out again. The door slowly shut behind him.

"You know what, Harry? I don't know what your problem is, but I think you better get it sorted." Ron said coldly. "Draco's a great guy, and he loves Hermione. He's saved my life more than once, and I've saved his. We're mates. Not best mates. But mates. He saved my sister's life, and he's been there for all of us if we needed him. And not because he has to. He could leave and betray us any time, and he knows it. But he wont. You know why? Because he actually cares about us all. Because he loves Hermione and he loves their daughter Lani. I know you used to love Hermione, heck, you might still for all I know. But she's married and happy now. And I don't care if you're the king of England or my best mate. I'm not going to let you ruin her life _again_. Try and get your issues sorted, please?" Ron walked out, leaving Harry flabbergasted.

&

Dinner that night seemed rather tense affair, as Hermione refused to look or talk to Harry, and Ron declined to attend, saying he needed to check some things. As he was rather vague, and Draco had heard the larger part of Harry and Ron's conversation in the library, no one thought he was actually checking 'things' though only a few actually knew why he had deigned to attend dinner, which was more of Luna's surprisingly good cooking.

After dinner, Hermione walked off without a further word, and Draco hurriedly followed her, without looking back. He caught up with her on the main landing, by the huge window that looked over the back garden from which you could see for miles on a clear day.

"Hermione! Hermione, wait! Are you alright?" Hermione whirled, and he grasped her arms to stop her moving. She was so much easier to talk to when she was still.

"No, I'm not alright." Hermione answered flatly.

"What happened? Was it-"

"Potter? Yes, it was Harry." Hermione said tiredly. She wrapped her arms around Draco, burying her face in his chest. "I love you. You know that, right?" Draco kissed the crown of her head.

"Course I do sweetheart. And I love you too. What's going on?"

"I told him about us…and he totally flipped." Hermione sniffed.

"I know. He and Ron were arguing about it in the library." Draco said.

"What were they saying?" Hermione asked, looking up. Draco grinned and kissed her forehead.

"Shouting, you mean. Harry was ranting about us being married, and Ron told him to shut up and get over it."

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. I even used the 'you ruined her life once, I'm not gonna let you do it again' line." Ron said, emerging from his room looking tired and anxious.

"You did?" Hermione disentangled herself from Draco and hugged Ron tightly. "Thank you!"

"For what? Totally yelling at Harry?"

"No, for defending me and Draco. I mean, I know you don't like him very much usually, but-"

"He's alright. He has his moments, but he's okay."

"Your vote of confidence is gratifying." Draco said dryly. Hermione glanced over her shoulder at him where he was leaning against the windowsill. And looking out the window, she saw them.

"Oh my god. Look!" Draco whirled, and Ron jumped down the steps to stand by them as they saw the dark figures circling. Hermione suddenly felt depressed.

"Dementors!" Draco exclaimed. The three of them went running down the stairs.

"Guys, we've got trouble!" Hermione exclaimed. Everyone rose to their feet. "Dementors are circling. I don't know if they know we're here or not, but I think we'd better skedaddle."

"Cho, Luna, Hermione, Harry and Ron, come and help me with the kids. Everyone else, get the stuff we need." Ginny snapped. People automatically did what they were told. They had drilled evacuations often, and they'd done it often enough in real life to be really good at it by now. Despite Ginny's orders, everyone knew what their jobs were, and they would have done them anyway, with the exception of Harry.

&

In the kids room, they were all playing and laughing, oblivious to the circling Dementors, whose soullessness weighed heavy on the adult's hearts.

Ginny flicked the lights on and off a few times, and all the children fell silent.

"We're evacuating." She said clearly. "Get your partner, and get to your group, in silence." The children immediately did as they were told. Harry was impressed by the way the older children easily controlled the younger, and helped the adults get the children organised. Harry mainly stuck by Ginny's side, as it was clear she knew what she was doing, and he wasn't particularly fond of Ron or Hermione at the moment.

After ten minutes, the room was empty of all the children. It was silent, as was the rest of the house.

Then a noise broke the silence. Then another. Then another.

"Get back! I told you, stay back!" a sharp voice ordered. A tall blonde man strode into the kids room, and flicked on the light. The three dementors at his back hissed, and he turned and regarded them coldly before turning back to the room. He was silent, waiting.

A sniff seemed to echo in the room. An icy smile spread across the cold handsome features of the blonde man. He strode across the room, and pulled a girl from behind a shelf. She was sniffing and crying, her brown hair falling over her eyes. Then a sudden change came over, when she realised that she'd been found. She stood up straight, yanked her arm from the man's grasp, pushed her hair out of her face, and glared at the man, who chuckled cruelly.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Janine Brown." Janine answered flatly. "Who're you?"

"Me? I'm Lucius Malfoy."

"But you're dead. Draco killed you."

"You mean he tried, little girl."

"Are those…dementors?" The dementors hissed.

"They are. Are you going to cooperate, or am I going to have to give you to them?" Lucius asked, almost kindly.

"I'll cooperate." She said haughtily.

"We might get on well then." He held onto the girl by her brown hair, and apparated away.

&

"We're missing one." Hermione stated, walking up to Draco. He looked down at her worried face.

"One what? Who?"

"One of the kids. Lavender's kid, Janine. She's not here." Hermione said, her voice flat. Draco recognised the voice as a pre-hysteria warning.

"Calm down love. She's probably just wandered off. The kids havent been at this safehouse before, have they?"

"Not since we abandoned it after Voldy decided to turn up nine years ago." Hermione replied.

"Well then. We'll get some people looking for her, and we'll find her. Don't worry about it. Hey, Seamus! See if you can find Janine Brown, she's wandered off and we want to keep track of everyone." Seamus nodded and waved before walking off. "There you go, sweetling. We'll find her in no time. Now go organise something." Draco ordered teasingly.

"I love you, you idiot." Hermione said with a laugh, as she headed off to where a couple of kids were fighting.

&

"She's not here." Hermione said levelly an hour later. "We've searched everywhere." Draco sighed, staring at his wife. She was really beautiful when she was on the verge on hysteria, with bright eyes and a pink flush on her cheeks. "Draco? Hun, stop staring at me like that."

"Sorry. We'll have another look and-"

"She's. Not. here." Hermione repeated stonily. There was a tapping at the window, and when Draco opened it, an owl flew in. it glared at their raised wands, and shook its leg which had a letter wrapped around it. "Careful." Hermione warned as Draco undid it. The owl gave a ruffled hoot and flew away.

Draco unrolled it and read it quickly, his eyes scanning the paper. Then he sighed and passed the parchement to Hermione.

_I have the girl._

Hermione raised her eyes to meet Draco's. then together they went downstairs to where the rest of the group were about to eat.

&


End file.
